Sanitary insert for lavatories



Jan. 8, 1935. o. LOOFT SANITARY INSERT FOR LAVATORIES Filed July 16, 1934 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1935 SANITARY INSERT LAVATOBIES Otto Tracy, Calif assignor, by direct and mesne. assignments, .of fifteen'pericent to Fred Baumen'a'nd ten per-cent ,to Jackob Taner, both of Tracy,'.Cali'f;, and fiveip r cent :to Primol". iCianettonh Banta', Qalif. i

,ApplioationJuly 16, 1934, Serial No. #135,404 solar s}; (611 i -16s)" -This invention relates 'to lavatories""and 'particularly to the wash bowls of public or semi public lavatories,-such as those in hotels, pullman cars etc., and which are apt to be used by different classes and kinds of people.

Considerable attention has been paid to increasing the sanitary features of toilets, hand towels, and even the soap used in public lavatories, but the wash bowl itself has been neglected. With the unavoidable promiscuous use of such lavatories, the unsanitary and careless tendency of some people is evidenced by the condition in which they leave the wash bowl. Such a condition disgusts a person of higher sanitary ideals who subsequently desires to use the bowl and who must frequently clean up after the previous user. Also a person may become infected by disease germs left in the bowl by a previous unsanitary user.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to remedy these conditions by providing an insert or liner for a wash bowl adapted to be placed therein by the individual user and arranged to hold water, but of such light flexible and inexpensive material that it may be used only once without an excessive increase of cost of upkeep of the lavatory and so that it may be easily disposed of after use.

A person having once used the liner may himself let out the water in the manner hereinafter seen and dispose of the liner, or this may be done by an attendant. Regardless of the condition in which the user leaves the liner therefore the bowl itself will remain in a perfectly clean and sanitary condition for each user.

Apart from this feature my device is of general benefit especially at this time, since its manufacture will give needed employment to" many, and the servicing operations necessary to maintaining a supply in lavatories will give employment to still others.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: I

Figure 1 is a cross section of a conventional wash bowl showing my linerin place therein.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the liner or insert detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a wash bowl of conventional form having a-bottom drain outlet 2 and an upper overflow outlet3. I V v :'.;s.' m; "The insert 'or liner--comprises "amzn'ember l shaped to fit inside the bowl and to follow the contour of the same throughout so that it will be supported over its entire area by the bowl. This being the desired form of the insert it must obviously be made in different sizes and shapes to properly fit different bowls. The insert preferably projects above the top of the bowl somewhat, as shown inFigure 1, so as to provide finger grips when removing the insert. The insert is made of readily puncturable yet waterproof material, such as thin waxed paper, cellulose composition, etc., so that while itis sufficiently self supporting to retain its shape it can be easily crumpled up into a very small wad when desiring to dispose of the liner after use.

At the back the insert is cut down from the top to a level below the top of the bowl and adjacent that of the top overflow outlet 3, in the form of a wide flat-bottomed notch, as shown at 5. The insert from the cut away portion downwardly to a point below the overflow is formed with an inward pocket-like bulge 6, positioned to surround the overflow and so as to prevent the same from being sealed by the liner. Suitable reinforcing means, such as a strip '7 of relatively stiff material, preferably extends along the periphery of the cut away portion and about the top of the bulge, so as to enable the same to retain its proper form and preventing the walling over and flattening out of such-peripheral edge.

By this means, if the liner is filled with water to an unduly high level such water will fiow through the notch 5 and into the overflow outlet 3, which is retained open by means of the bulge 6 as previously stated. H

When a person has finished using the liner it is only necessary to punch the bottom of the same over the outlet 2, which is left uncovered, and

thus permitting the draining out of the water from the liner. The liner is thenremoved from the bowl and thrown into a waste receptacle such as is usually provided in connectionwith paper towels. Since any dirt or dirty water never contacts the interior wall of thefbowl the latter will remain in a clean appearing and sanitary 7 condition at all times.

The inserts are preferably supplied nested together in a stack so'as to prevent the formation of creases etc. on the liners which would interfere with their proper and ready fit into the bowl. The insertion of a liner into the bowl is of course an easy matter, since as stated, it is made to fit the bowl, it is maintained with its proper form prior to use, and it can be placed in the bowl by a slight downward tilting movement at the backv if necessary to pass its top back edge under the faucet :which overhangs the bowl. a

From' the foregoing description it will be read ily seen that I have produced such a device as as set forth herein. I I

While this specification sets 'forth in detail the present and preferred constructionof I the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to asdo not form a departure from the spirit of-the invention,asdefined by the appended claims.

Having thus described myinvention whatflI.

claim as new and useful and desire to secure by, Letters Patent is:

1. A sanitary device for a wash bowl having an overflow outlet in the side adjacent the top, said device comprising a waterproof liner to fit snug- 1y within the bowl and to extend above the overflow outlet, and means formed with the liner to prevent sealing of the overflow outlet and allow water rising in the liner to a level above that of said outlet to flow into the same.

2. A sanitary device for .a washbowlhaving anoverflow outlet in-th'e side adjacent the top, said device comprising a waterproof liner to fit substantially fulfills the objects of the inventicn within the and extend abve the overflow outlet, the top edge of the liner in the outlet, the top of the vbulge being at the bottom oi .the cut down edge whereby to prevent sealing of the: outlet and permit of an overflowing of water from the liner into said outlet.

s. A structure as in claim 2, in which the liner r is ,of, flexible collapsible material with a relatively rigid reinforcing strip extending about the top of the bulge to prevent collapse of the same. I g O'I'IO LOOFT. 

